Why Devin Gardner Will Not Redshirt

It seems that the common thought here on MGoBlog is that it would be in the team's best interest to redshirt Devin Gardner next season and allow him to take total control of the team in his third or fourth year on campus, as a RS Sophomore or Junior.

While I actually agree with that line of thought, it's not happening.

I'm a pretty big fan of Rich Rod's. I see the direction that he's taking this team and I like it. I realize it will take time, and I am more than willing to give him that time. I am not in charge of how much time he has, however. If he doesn't perform soon, more and more fans will be calling for his job, and they just might get their wish if this season results in a 6-6 or 7-5 record.

Gardner is Rodriguez's prototypical quarterback. More skill rushing than Forcier, more skill passing (especially after some coaching this spring) than Robinson. In two or three years, he will be a dominant force in Ann Arbor, but Rodriguez can't wait that long.

This isn't to say he doesn't have the best interest of the team in mind, but he is going to have to have at the very least an eight win season to keep the critics at bay, and even that likely will not be enough.

Nine or ten wins will keep his job secure, and the easiest short-term fix that would give this team the best chance at a ten win season is using Forcier primarily, and using Gardner much like Robinson was used last season. With Gardner in the backfield, however, there will be a little more confusion for opposing defenses. It wont be "Robinson up the gut" play after play. Gardner will be an intimidating player to line up against.

So while it would absolutely be in the teams best interest to redshirt him and maximize his playing time and impact at Michigan, even one more season under eight wins could cost Rodriguez his job, and then three years of Michigan football will have been completely useless as a coach with a more traditional style will be brought in, and there will be even more re-building to find players that fit that scheme.

As long as Gardner isn't a big disappointment at spring practice and can learn a good zone read as well as about 30% of the playbook, Rich Rodriguez has to play him this season. He won't be starting on opening day, and he may not start at all this season, but he'll be in the same role that Robinson was in last season. It has to be done for Rodriguez's job, and for Michigan's immediate future.

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There's no need to insert a running quarterback if the existing quarterback(s) can learn to run the read option. Forcier kept the ball way too many times last year when the defensive end was staying home, and the coaches didn't even bother running the option with Denard, presumably because the game was moving too fast for him.

compelling in the fact that we saw what happens to true-frosh QBs. I have no doubt DG will be dynamic is his time but Tate and Shoelace will have to struggle mightily for us to see DG this season. That being said, I do expect him to for #16 to a hybrid position in 2011.

Kudos to you if you are correct, but I just don't see this being beneficial. Under your theory DG will be wasted on plays when the opposition pretty much knows all of the plays in which he is capable of performing w/o death. Which IMO isnt that much vastly different then D-Rob last year. Thus it would be a waste of a full year of eligibility.

I dont see the point in burning his redshirt for spot duty. Redshirting him gets him time to learn and workout but it also gets him another year of separation from Tate and D-Rob. There is no point in having him come in like D-Rob did last year, when we still have D-Rob to do that.

But assuming true freshman Gardner is better than true sophomore Robinson, which isn't too far fetched, would mean that we could end up with more wins next season with Gardner playing 30% of the snaps.

Does Gardner check down to Odoms against Iowa? It could make the difference between a seven win season and a nine win season, and with his job on the line I think that's a chance RichRod takes.

It is pretty far fetched, IMO, that a true freshman would play better than a true sophomore who saw extensive time as a true freshman. This would be bad as it signals that D-Rob is not progressing and would speak more about D-Rob than Gardner in my opinion.

Gardner is raw and his mechanics are below average; he's maybe a better passer than D-Rob at this stage but below Forcier. Teams at this point won't respect Gardner as a passer and will stack the box, just like they did against D-Rob. Gardner is better off redshirting so he can go through S&C program, work on mechanics, and learn the playbook. Forcier and D-Rob combo should be fine for us this year; Gardner should only be an option if there are injuries.

Negbang away, goons. I haven't been out of line or negative in more than one or two posts since I joined up on MGoBlog, but good lord you disagree with my opinion so go through and hit the down arrow on everything I say.

don't matter. The boosters matter in a minor manner. Dave Brandon, Mary Sue Coleman, and the people on the INSIDE matter. I have a feeling the insiders knew that they were making a long-term investment when making their decision to completely change the program. As long as he's getting us to a bowl next year, I think he stays, because the insiders in the program understand that this was a radical change, and that continuity is necessary and discontinuity will only set us back another few years.

People don't seem to be reading the original post. I'm hoping he doesn't lose his job after a six win season next year. I won't be one of the people calling for his job. I'm just saying if I were him, I'd be putting myself in the best position to win as many games as possible. His mentality is "the best players will play, regardless of age or experience."

If DG is better than DR, he will play. Behind Forcier, and only about 30% of the snaps, but he'll play.

What?
I don't think I agree.
Forcier is much more polished as a QB than DG could possibly be and even if DG has more throwing upside than DR, I don't see him surpassing anyone who has a year of experience on him. He's just too raw and everyone has said his motion is plain terrible.

Just don't see it.

And you say yourself He won't be starting on opening day, and he may not start at all this season,so where is the value of having him burn a year when he can get in all the practice time that everyone else gets and actually perhaps be a polished QB by the time he reaches years 2 or 3?

What makes you think that Denard Robinson's career as a QB is over? He came in, as a true freshman, and made some mistakes. He was using maybe 40% of the playbook, and was put in cold each and every time he played.

You seem to think that DG will be better skilled at passing than Denard after spring practice, but you have no idea how Denard has progressed since the few times we saw him last season, or with some spring practice himself.

I don't really understand why Denard has been written off by so many different people. Most of the time Rich Rod talks about QBs, he refers to both Tate and Denard. While this may be coachspeak, it's something that you can't straight up ignore.

He's not an option at quarterback, except for random craziness like last year. And if he plays at quarterback at all this year, it's because a) Forcier got hurt and/or b) the coaches want to redshirt Gardner.

I completely agree that he was an awful passer. But you aren't going to take into account that he came in cold, in the middle of games, with a small percentage of the playbook at his disposal, with less practice than most true freshmen that start (as he wasn't the first-team guy)?

I agree 100%. He's got the arm strength, and accuracy wasn't horrendous. I think when it comes to decision making, it'll be more time looking at film, and in practice. He was a true freshman...these things will come with time. Of course, he's not afforded MUCH time, but to write him off after a year, it just rubs me the wrong way.

A variable: The coaches will have to want to use a change-up QB. They might not.

Another: Gardner would have to be better than Robinson even though Robinson has a big jump on him in terms of experience.

Final assessment: Gardner plays if a.) the coaches want to use a change-up QB and b.) Gardner is better than Robinson and c.) he's enough better that burning his redshirt is merited, i.e., the difference between what he brings and what Robinson brings is a greater contribution to the team than an extra year of eligility would be...I understand your point about Rodriguez being willing to sacrifice the future for the sake of 2010, and we can agree to disagree, but I don't think Rodriguez is feeling the heat nearly as much as the media would make it out. Michigan is going to be patient and he knows it, IMO.

I understand what you are saying. It would be nice to see DG in next year, even in spot duty. I think the ceiling is high for DG. HOWEVA, at this point I don't know if it is worth it to burn his redshirt just for 10 plays a game. DG's passing didn't look that great in the state title game or the UA game. It is possible that DG improves a lot during the spring. It would seem like it would need to be a HUGE improvement to justify having DG see the field. We all have to trust the coaches on this. I would like to see DG redshirt. But if RR decides he is ready then we should support the decision.

After watching last season, who can say that playing a freshman QB is the way to get 9 or 10 wins? Rich Rod can keep his job with a bowl game, and the offense will improve with experience and time. Devin Gardner is not the answer, and one cannot simply assume that his throwing mechanics will get better over 9 months.

I get that he is a great physical talent, but that won't win you any games above what Rich Rod can get with two sophomores with playing experience. Denard and Tate will both get better in the offseason, and I would rather take a knowledgeable, experienced and slightly-less athletic QB over an athletic, raw, and confused one. With Tate having a better grasp of the offense, there won't be the need for a Denard-like player to come in and "mix things up."

Rich Rod won't have anything to gain by burning Devin's redshirt, even if he wants to win now. Playing Gardner will only hurt the team.

I just don't see how this would improve a hypothetical 6-6 or 5-7 season. Tate and Robinson are both more experienced than Gardner. I believe that its a stretch to assume that Gardner's passing skills will be better than Robinson's in the fall.

I also believe a FAIL season will have more to do with the D than the O.

The OP has a decent point or two, and I personally don't think Gardner is going to redshirt. He can bring something to this team that isn't there. He's more of a power, shaky runner than Denard's pure dilithium speed. In an ideal world, he redshirts, but if you've watched any Michigan sports in the past ever, you know we don't live in an ideal world.